Rossiter and his riders were surprised by a super-slick Kirkmanshulme Lane circuit which generated billowing dust from the very start of racing – but it was the mid-meeting watering which really incensed the Bees boss.

The Coventry camp claimed that the water was being deposited only over the starting positions from which they were due out in the next race, and it generated plenty of ill-feeling between the clubs in a match played out in front of a live television audience.

Rossiter said: “We could see it quite clearly, normally you water from the outside in, but he went straight over gate three and dumped the whole lot. It never went over gate four at all.

“At the second re-grading it happened again, they dumped the water on gate three, which we were on in the next race. This track was an absolute disgrace and we wonder why Sky Sports will disappear one day – it will be down to places like this.

“I might be outspoken but that’s how bitter I feel about it. We need Sky, and speedway promoters need to wake up and see it.”

Holding the inside line was crucial to success, as proved by the home side in the very first race when Bees gated well but Hans Andersen made his way past Ben Barker to lead whilst guest Niels-Kristian Iversen was surprisingly overhauled by James Wright.

The Aces were better in the early stages by quite a distance, roaring into a 13-5 lead before Przemyslaw Pawlicki put in a superb ride to win Heat 4, and skipper Chris Harris also won his second outing with a sweet turn-back inside Andersen off the second bend.

But when the Bees used a tactical ride in Heat 7, it went horribly wrong as first Lewis Bridger – who endured a nightmare on his return from his Brandon crash last Thursday – fell on turn one, and then the double-points Edward Kennett, off the controversial gate three, was relegated to third place behind Peter Karlsson and key reserve Josh Grajczonek.

Ben Barker shepherded Pawlicki home to a double-points second place in Heat 8 as Bees tried to limit the damage, and they gained further hope when both Harris and Josh Auty hit the front and held the ideal racing line for a 5-1 in Heat 9.

As the Aces re-extended their lead, there was drama at the end of Heat 11 as Grajczonek just held off Barker in a photo-finish for third place only to fall after the end of the race, veteran Karlsson having shown his experience on turn two after Iversen and Barker had made the best starts.

With Bridger looping and coming to grief again in Heat 10, Bees handed Pawlicki an extra ride in Heat 12 which saw him secure a 3-3 with Auty, and they maintained hopes of a point on the night with Iversen getting dialled-in to win Heat 13 and a late Harris charge seeing him only just miss out on passing a slowing Andersen on the line.

But the Aces simply gated and went in Heat 14, and it has to be said that young Grajczonek was hugely impressive in recording paid-ten, although it was harsh on the exciting Pawlicki to finish his night on the receiving end of a 5-1.

Bees responded with maximum points in the last race as consolation through Iversen and Harris, with Belle Vue resting their big guns at the end of a bad-tempered meeting which did nothing to advance the Brandon men’s prospects of moving above their current seventh place.